Anaerobes, bacteria that thrive in the absence of oxygen, are both major contributors to disease as well as critical to human health. While Clostridium difficile is a serious infectious disease threat and a leading cause of healthcare-associated infections, we are increasingly aware that anaerobes contribute in a beneficial way to the structure and function of the human microbiome. Although regional Societies focused on anaerobe bacterial science exist in select locales abroad (e.g., Britain, Japan), the Anaerobe Society of the Americas (ASA) is the only United States-based Society devoted to the basic and clinical science of anaerobes. Further, the ASA has long had an active international membership with representation from more than 30 countries at the 2014 Biennial Congress. The long-term goal of the ASA and its biennial congress (founded in 1992) is to promote health and advance science through the study of anaerobic bacteria and their environments. This proposal seeks NIH support for ANAEROBE 2016, the 13th Biennial Congress of the ASA, which will be hosted from July 11-14, 2016 in Nashville, TN. The specific aims of the 13th Biennial Congress are: (1) to stimulate interest in anaerobes and to encourage and facilitate interchange among anaerobists from all disciplines, including medical, dental, veterinary, microbiology and basic sciences fields of study; (2) to assess our current understanding of the microbiota and its contribution to health disease; (3) to discuss controversies and advances in disease induction by Clostridium species and grapple with the increasing problem of antimicrobial resistance in Clostridium difficile and other anaerobic bacteria; and (4) to probe emerging mechanisms of action, health benefits, and regulatory issues in probiotic development and clinical use. The 13th Biennial Congress will accomplish this goal through presentations by more than 20 domestic and international expert scientific speakers and a variety of presentation formats. The Organizing Committee has created a program that fosters diversity among the participants and attendees at ANAEROBE 2016 in the vibrant city of Nashville. The one-room, intimate nature of the conference will encourage a hearty, person-to-person, interdisciplinary exchange between scientists who do not necessarily come together in another venue. Consistent with the goals of the NIH and NIAID, the 13th Biennial Congress of the ASA provides a unique opportunity to bring together the world's leading basic and clinical investigators in anaerobe bacterial science and its translation to advance studies with lasting impact on human health.